Ever loan your R/C car to a person to try out, who suposedly thinks they are a WAY better driver than you, only to have them wad it because thier skills werent what they thought they were?


I had such a incident happen. I loaned my 1/5th to a buddy to run around a huge parking lot. I know he thinks hes 10 times the driver I am because he always make little comments like "oh your actually going to drive it, rather than do burnouts?" So he kinda screwed himself when I gave him the controls and he proceeded to drive like a 1/5th scale champion, at 50 MPH around the parking lot, driving the car like he owned it himself, rather than like he was borrowing it, and hadn't ever driven a 1/5th in his life. The way we all probably drove at 16 when we thought a 82 Camaro turned us into Mario Andretti. Well at some point during the 10 minute drive he got a little careless. He was turning the car while going fast enough to loft the cars tires off the ground (he jumped the car off the ground while turning) lost control and it slid right into a concrete curb. No real damage other than a scratched body and ego on his part.

Firstly, I own the FG, but I have to guess if someone had $2,600.00 in a new FG and offered to let me drive it, I imagine I would be happy to drive it like I borrowed it, and certainly within my AND the cars limits. Secondly a 25LBS car doesn't jump off the pavement. His first reaction when it hit the curb was to hold the controller away from him thinking it had mass interference, but figured out quickly there was nothing wrong with the controller. I immediately told him it was "operator error", and it was him driving over his head, and over the limits of the car. Finally he agreed it was his fault, and wouldn't drive the car saying "Oh man you gotta fix that thing, it handles HORRIBLE!" Mind you this is after him driving insane for 10 minutes at least, without a single mention of foul handling, then all the sudden he wreaks and its the car!

The car wasn't damaged, and I guess the moral of the story is you really need to let people know what you expect when you give them the controls. I know if I had said please drive it within your AND the cars abilities, he wouldn't have driven quite so fast, and wouldn't have wreaked it either. Also I know he didnt intentionally wreak it, plus he was man enough after he figured out it was his carelessness that had wreaked the car, to admit it. It can be a really tough thing though.

I know from reading the airplane forums this type of thing isn't uncommon. Both carelessness from frequency conflicts, and people flying planes that are way over their head ability wise, cause accidents and hurt feelings between fellow modelers.

Besides people should impress others with their abilities on their own cars/planes. A borrowed car/plane that you have never driven and costs more than a couple weeks or MONTHS of your entire income isn't the time to show anyone how much better you think you are at driving than they are.

Wouldn't it really suck to have to replace a model for someone else, that you couldn't even afford for yourself?!!?!?? :stupid:

Lets hear some war stories!